Chapter Seventy-Four: Fire at the Inn

The innkeeper brought dishes to both families. After their meal, Wei Yang and An Jian did not go to the adjoining room; instead, they prepared bedding on the floor in their own chamber.

The reappearance of the assassin convinced Wei Yang that their tracks had been discovered. He knew more perilous events would soon unfold, and he must remain vigilant, never leaving the three unguarded.

Late at night, after a day of toil, everyone had fallen asleep. The world was silent, until a sudden, piercing scream shattered the stillness: "Fire! Fire!"

Wei Yang sat cross-legged on a chair, eyes closed in repose. At the sound, he opened his eyes. The three members of the Luo family, sleeping in their clothes, were startled by the scream; they threw off their covers and sat up quickly.

Their room was on the second floor. Wei Yang could not lead all three out the window at once, so he opened the door. In the dark corridor, shadows flickered as everyone in the inn was roused.

An Jian and Wei Yang flanked Luo and An Yi, ushering them toward the stairs. This inn had three floors, and the continuous rain hampered movement. The business was good; many guests were staying. At the alarm of fire, they all rushed out, pushing and shoving in confusion, some unable to distinguish direction.

An Yi followed Luo, struggling to reach the stairway amid the crowd. The stairwell was narrow, and An Jian and Wei Yang were pushed a bit behind. An Yi and Luo were swept down with the crowd, and their tightly clasped hands were forced apart by the press of bodies.

An Yi called out, "Mother! Mother!"

"Xi'er, Xi'er!" Luo cried anxiously.

In the darkness, people pushed and pressed; once separated, it was hard to find each other again. An Yi was swept down the stairs, her feet barely touching the steps. If she fell, she would not be able to get up and would be trampled to death. She could only follow the flow, shouting as she went, "Mother! Second Brother! Uncle!"

"Xi'er! Xi'er!" Luo called in panic.

"Sister! Sister!"

"Don't panic, Xi'er. Uncle is right behind you." Wei Yang, trained in martial arts, keen-eared and sharp-eyed, quickly located An Yi. He tried to push his way to her, but was blocked by the crowd.

"Don't push! The people ahead aren't moving, I can't go!"

"Who is that scoundrel, shamelessly taking advantage in the chaos!"

"Aiyo, why all the pushing? The fire hasn't reached us yet. If you keep shoving, cough, cough, we'll be crushed to death!"

"Is the fire coming? Why is it so hot? The people ahead, hurry up, why are you standing there?"

Angry curses, screams, and cries melded into a cacophony, obscuring the voices of An Yi and her family.

An Yi was so pressed that her toes barely touched the stairs. If she fell, she’d be crushed. She followed the crowd down, finally feeling solid ground beneath her feet, and breathed a sigh of relief, continuing toward the inn's entrance.

Outside, An Yi saw the fire was not too severe. The rain of recent days had soaked everything, making it hard for the flames to spread, though thick smoke billowed. She stood on tiptoe, watching the door as guests streamed out.

Afraid of being pushed, An Yi stepped back, accidentally bumping someone. She turned to apologize, "Sorry... Oh! Cong Liu?"

"Xi'er?"

"What are you doing here?"

Recognizing each other, they spoke in unison.

Cong Liu rolled her eyes. "What does me being here have to do with you..."

Before she could finish, Cong Liu suddenly grabbed An Yi’s hand and broke into a run, pushing through the crowd, shouting, "Move! Move!"

"Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me! Let go!" An Yi struggled, but Cong Liu’s grip was firm.

Behind them came a shout, "Stop, you brat! Stop!"

An Yi glanced back. Two burly men were pushing through the crowd. Judging by their lack of agility, they weren’t assassins; they were after Cong Liu. An Yi was confused—why didn't Cong Liu escape on her own? She would be faster that way.

She soon learned Cong Liu’s intention, for both were caught by the two men. One seized Cong Liu and slapped her twice. "Run, you brat! We'll see how far you can go. You wretched girl, you made us chase you for hundreds of miles!"

Cong Liu covered her head. "Don't hit me! I don't have the goods, I gave them all to my elder sister. Big sister, quickly give them what they want!"

An Yi was startled, then immediately understood. Before the men could strike her, she said, "Gentlemen, I am not her sister. I don’t know her. There was a fire in the inn—I was just coming out when she dragged me along."

"Big sister, at a time like this, you still care about the goods. Stop lying and hand them over," Cong Liu wailed.

"Gentlemen, don’t believe a thief’s words," An Yi thought furiously—this wretched girl, even in death, wanted to drag someone down with her.

The two men exchanged glances, but before they could decide whom to trust, they suddenly collapsed, dead.

Behind their lifeless bodies stood Wei Yang. "Uncle!"

Wei Yang helped her up, asking with concern, "Are you hurt?"

"No, I’m fine." An Yi strode to Cong Liu and slapped her hard, snorted coldly, and returned to Wei Yang’s side. "Uncle, let’s go."

Wei Yang’s gaze flickered. "Who is she?"

An Yi briefly explained the situation.

Wei Yang turned to stare coldly at Cong Liu, who was following at a distance. His eyes were frosty, murderous. In the darkness, Cong Liu could not see his expression, but she shivered, looked around anxiously, and hurried her pace.

The fire was soon extinguished by the town’s fire brigade. Luo and An Jian stood outside the inn, peering anxiously. When they saw Wei Yang bring An Yi back, they rushed forward in relief, but frowned when they saw Cong Liu trailing behind.

With more than an hour before dawn, and the fire not having reached the guest rooms, most people returned to sleep. The four also went back to their room. As no assassin struck amid the chaos, Wei Yang surmised the fire was merely an accident and they could wait until morning to leave.

Cong Liu entered the inn, but despite searching everywhere, she could not find her mother or three brothers. She wondered if they had been caught by other men or abandoned her in their escape. Standing bewildered in the corridor, just ten years old, even with her boldness, she was frightened and lost in a strange place with no familiar faces.

Familiar faces!

Cong Liu remembered An Yi and recalled which room they had entered. She hurried over and knocked. "Aunt An, Aunt An, it’s Cong Liu."

An Jian opened the door, his face stern. "What are you here for?"

"Aunt An, I can’t find my mother. I don’t know where she went," Cong Liu said with a sob.

"What does your missing mother have to do with us?" An Jian tried to close the door.

Cong Liu blocked the door with her body. "Aunt An, please, let me go with you. I can't stay here—if they catch me, they'll beat me to death. Aunt An, please!"

"You nearly got my sister killed, and now you want to follow us? Dream on," An Jian pushed at her with the door. "Out, get out!"

"Brother Shuanzi, I was wrong, I was wrong, I'll never do it again. Please, take me with you. If they catch me, they'll sell me to some terrible place. Brother Shuanzi, I beg you, take me with you. I'll work for you, repay you any way I can."

"We don’t need your repayment," An Yi said coldly.

Wei Yang frowned, anger flashing in his eyes. He was about to rise, but Luo pulled him back, went over to Cong Liu, and sighed. "Cong Liu, your mother likely hasn’t gone far. She’s probably hiding somewhere. Wait until dawn and look for her then."

"They've been caught, you won't find them." Seeing Luo’s hesitation, Cong Liu clung to her skirt. "Aunt An, please, take me with you. I can help, I eat little, just a mouthful of rice is enough."

Luo saw the clear mark of a slap on Cong Liu’s face and felt pity. She gently touched it. "Cong Liu, it’s not that Aunt An is heartless, but bringing you along would be even more dangerous."

"I’m not afraid, Aunt An. I’m not afraid. Please, take me with you. I can’t stay here alone," Cong Liu pleaded through tears.

"Cong Liu, we cannot take you," Luo said, though she pitied the lonely child. She couldn’t protect herself, so could only shake her head helplessly.

Cong Liu lowered her head, resentment flickering in her eyes. "Aunt An, may I at least wait inside until dawn? It’s so dark, I’m scared."

This request was not unreasonable. Luo opened the door. "Come in."

Wei Yang and An Yi both frowned.

Cong Liu entered, sitting by the door, head bowed, occasionally glancing at Wei Yang, An Jian, and An Yi, her expression timid and unsettled.

An Yi signaled Wei Yang, sliding her finger over the table, urging him to deal with Cong Liu. Her thoughts were malicious; she could not be allowed to stay.

A cold light flashed in Wei Yang’s eyes. He curled his lip and nodded slightly.

An Jian eyed Cong Liu askance, playing with his small knife.

The room was silent, time slipping away.

The rooster crowed. Dawn broke, light filtering in, and the inn was already stirring as early travelers rose.

"Let’s go," Wei Yang said, opening the door and stepping out first.

An Yi followed, not sparing Cong Liu a glance.

Luo picked up her bundle and said to Cong Liu, "It’s morning, go find your mother."

Cong Liu nodded. As she stood, perhaps from sitting too long, her legs went numb and she stumbled forward.

An Jian reflexively caught her.

Cong Liu smiled, lips pressed together. "Thank you, Brother Shuanzi."

An Jian shook her off in disgust. "Stand up straight."

Leaving the inn, Wei Yang led the three toward the docks, Cong Liu trailing far behind.

It was early; few people were on the road. They bought some buns, then, turning a corner, Wei Yang said, "Sister, keep walking. Don’t look back."

"Be careful," Luo replied, thinking assassins were after them. She took An Jian and An Yi’s hands and quickened her pace.

Wei Yang waited at the corner for Cong Liu.

When she turned, Wei Yang seized her by the throat.

He tapped his toes, leaping to the rooftop. "If you wish for death, I’ll oblige you."

Cong Liu’s face was terror-stricken, eyes bulging, mouth agape, limbs twitching briefly before her breath ceased.

Wei Yang crushed her neck, and seeing she was dead, pulled a small knife from his robe and slashed her face in every direction. With a cold smile, he vanished, quickly rejoining the Luo family.

"How was it?" Luo asked.

Wei Yang looked at An Yi. "It’s done. Nothing to worry about."

An Yi arched her brow, knowing Cong Liu was dead.

At the dock, several passenger boats awaited. Two were bound north—one a two-deck vessel, one with three decks. The two-deck boat had plenty of space but was not departing yet, waiting for more passengers. The three-deck boat had only rooms left on the lowest deck, but eager to leave quickly, Luo insisted on boarding it.

Wei Yang counted out the fare, and the four boarded, guided to the lower cabins.

The cramped space was packed with men, women, children, and their belongings. As soon as they entered, An Yi was assailed by a pungent odor, frowning and covering her nose.

Luo and An Jian were also nearly overwhelmed by the stench.

Only Wei Yang, hardened by the harshest training, was unfazed, leading them to find seats.

By chance, Aunt Liu and her three sons were seated beside them.

"Aunt Liu, your daughter Cong Liu is still at the inn. Aren’t you going back for her?" Luo asked.

"Wasn’t Cong Liu caught?" Aunt Liu had seen two men chase Cong Liu the night before and had slipped away with her sons.

"She wasn’t caught. She’s still at the inn waiting for you. Go back quickly—she’ll be terrified alone," Luo urged.

Aunt Liu pouted. "Who knows if you’re lying?"

"Why would I lie?" Luo asked.

"That’s not something you need to spell out," Aunt Liu rolled her eyes.

"Mother, don’t meddle in other people’s affairs," An Yi tugged at Luo.

"To have you as a daughter must be retribution for past sins," Luo muttered, unable to understand how Aunt Liu could abandon Cong Liu—how could a mother be so heartless?

Aunt Liu turned away. If she returned for Cong Liu and got caught, what then? If she lost her daughter, so be it—she had money and three sons to rely on for her later years.

"Set sail!" the captain shouted, and the boat slowly left the dock.

An Yi sat in the cabin for a quarter hour, feeling dizzy and nauseous. "Uncle, may I go on deck for some air?"

Wei Yang saw her pale face. "I’ll go with you; Shuanzi, stay and care for your mother."

Uncle and niece went up to the deck. The sky was gloomy, rain imminent, and few people were on deck. With the wind against the current, the boat moved slowly.

The cabin’s smell and the motion made An Yi miserable. She had no desire to admire the scenery, and leaned against the rail, eyes closed.

Wei Yang stood by her, worried. "You’re already like this just boarding—can you endure the next few days?"

"I have to, even if I can’t... bleh," An Yi vomited up all the buns she’d eaten that morning.

Wei Yang bent to pat her back.

After she finished, An Yi sat weakly on the deck. "I didn’t know I’d get seasick. Had I known, I’d have brought medicine."

"Do you want some water?" Wei Yang asked.

An Yi shook her head, leaning against the rail, Wei Yang keeping watch at her side.